This invention relates generally to apparatus for mixing materials and, more particularly, to apparatus for mixing water with a concentrated liquid slurry in order to dilute the slurry.
During an intermediate stage in the manufacture of tires, rubber is formed either into slabs or pellets which are temporarily stored. To keep the material from sticking together, the slabs and pellets must be coated with an anti-stick substance, the slabs being dipped and the pellets being sprayed. Initially, the tire manufacturer creates the anti-stick material by dumping bags of powdered chemical into water in a large tank to create a concentrated slurry having a solids content ranging from 40-70 percent by weight. Subsequently, the slurry is diluted and is applied to the rubber slabs or pellets. In the case of slabs, the solids content of the diluted slurry may be as low as 3-5 percent by weight. Pellets, however, must be coated with a more concentrated slurry, for example, a slurry having a solids content of 13-15 percent by weight.
In typical tire manufacturing operations, the diluted slurry is created under manual control with a human operator being responsible for mixing the proper weight of highly concentrated slurry with the proper weight of water. Due to human error, diluted slurries of inaccurate proportions are inherently produced from time-to-time. Also, the mixing and diluting process is labor-intensive.